Big Second Half Effort Lifts FHB Over FC Thistle

Last season, FC Thistle carried home the Utah Soccer Association's Third Division Trophy. We played them twice. At our first meeting, we dominated possession, but failed to lock up the game during regulation time. We lost on penalties. At our second meeting, we controlled the game's first half, but made errors in the early minutes of the second half that ultimately cost us the match. Entering Saturday's Second Division game, we felt we had unfinished business.

The game was important for another reason. We had lost our previous two matches; one in which we had thoroughly dominated possession but failed to score and a second in which we played well below our high standards and were disadvantaged by the worst refereeing we have ever experienced.

Within less than ten minutes, two dramatic events occurred that seemed to set the game's course. First, two of our tallest strikers combined to score the game's first goal. Sean Hetherington sent a pinpoint cross to Jeremy Johnson who headed the ball home. Our players, friends and families cheered loudly and enjoyed a much needed boost to our collective confidence. But if we thought we'd secured the game, we were greatly mistaken.

FC Thistle, a team Coach Artigas felt was better organized than either of the two sides that have beaten us this season, quickly countered. One of our defenders brought a Thistle player down in our box; the referee awarded a penalty. It appeared our lead might be short-lived. Happily, Scott Klingensmith, our sure-handed keeper, denied Thistle's attempt. After the game, someone observed that the result might have been quite different had Scott not made that save. Our confidence might have been diminished. Our opponent might have gained momentum.

Throughout the remainder of the first half, both teams played aggressively and both had scoring opportunities. But neither team was able to beat the other's keeper.

At halftime, we felt good about how we were playing, but our failure to make our shots count in previous games lingered in the back of our minds. As he has in several previous contests, Coach Artigas made changes to our tactics that led to more and better scoring chances.

Ryan Taggart eased our concerns early. Receiving a terrific pass forward from our right back, Jon Boyer, he dribbled through FC Thistles' back line and drove the ball home. Sean Hetherington scored next, slicing through FC Thistle defenders before hammering the ball into the net. With those goals, our belief in our team grew and we became all but unstoppable. Jeremy and Sean combined for another score, a reversal of their prior goal. This time, Jeremy headed the ball back to Sean who kicked it past Thistle's keeper. Ryan closed the scoring with a tremendous shot that struck the keeper, but rolled past him into the net. Thistle's only goal came late in the match on a second penalty kick. (We rarely concede penalty kicks. To have given up two in one game was very unusual.) Final score: 5 - 1.

As in each of our previous wins, every player on the pitch contributed. This week, the Wade brothers (Terry, Brett and Chris) were critical to our success. They dominated play at midfield and Terry (playing the left back position) raced to an open goal to deny Thistle a certain score. Scott Kligensmith, who's chest was torn open by a Mutiny FC player's cleats last weekend, finished the game covered in "road rash" from having made several diving saves within a penalty area that was largely barren of grass. Sam Brown, our versatile and consistently good-natured midfielder provided another solid effort. And Justin Pilmer, our wrecking-ball left back, had another good afternoon on our back line.

Another player deserves to be pointed out: Aaron Morgan. Though we are allowed to field only eighteen players in each game, our roster includes several more. On occasion, more than eighteen want to play and we must ask someone to sit out. This Saturday was one of those occasions. Aaron volunteered to skip this game so that no one would be required to miss it. Everyone on the team appreciated his selfless gesture.